Evenkite

Evenkite C₂₄H₅₀ was first discovered by Shropyshev in the Evenkia district of Siberia, Russia by the Nizhnyaya Tunguska River in quartz geodes.[6] The formation of Evenkite within the quartz geodes where due to thermal cracking of the organic matter (manly marine plants) that where trapped in the septarian concretions during the Jurassic burial.[5] The French Alps region received a lot of geological uplift after the Jurassic burial which increased temperatures that where being applied to the buried sediments.[4] As a result of the high pressure and temperatures, the hydrocarbon is created within the mineral geode. Most commonly found with quartz, evenkite is the last part of the geode to form. In a quartz geode it appears as flaky wax partials on top of the quartz crystals.[4]

With a formula of C₂₄H₅₀, evenkite is considered a hydrocarbon, and the only known mineral to have a hydrocarbon form.[7] Being a hydrocarbon, there are many similar structures to evenkite, but those similar structures cannot be classified as a mineral due to not being stable enough to reach the classification of mineral.[7] Due to being the only mineral that has this is in the form of a hydrocarbon, it is considered a very rare and unique mineral.[5] Having the formula C₂₄H₅₀, evenkite falls within the form C_nH_2n+2, which is considered to be a part of the paraffin hydrocarbon series.[8] Paraffins are naturally occurring and abundant in a wide variety of environments; commonly it is known as or seen in: plant wax, beeswax, and multiple types of oils.[8] Being a part of the paraffin series helps explain evenkite's physical properties which include: transparent to yellow color, waxy luster, and having a Mohs hardness of 1.[9] It is also one of the few non-porous minerals that floats on water.